I used to live in Reno and went to UNR and would hate to see the Black Rock get trashed. However, given human nature not everyone will comply with the strict cleanup so I'm glad to read there are volunteers and other participants that go the extra mile.

I used to live in Reno and went to UNR and would hate to see the Black Rock get trashed. However, given human nature not everyone will comply with the strict cleanup so I'm glad to read there are volunteers and other participants that go the extra mile.

Is there a local sheriff presence at this event?

Kelvin

Kelvin, fear not, the cleanup is thorough. The Bureau of Land Management issues the permit to Burning Man and they come through and check after the event. The crew that checks for the MOOP map uses UV lights and magnetic rakes, in addition to eyes, to make sure everyone cleaned up after themselves. The future of the event depends on us restoring the playa. I've been to that desert in July, and you can't tell where the event was held.

Yes, there are sheriffs around during the event, from both Washoe and Pershing counties, plus BLM rangers, ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms), and any other Law Enforcement that feels it can justify a presence. Black Rock City has a population of over 68,000 residents for that one week. Its crime rate is far, far below the level of any comparably sized city. But people are still people and it's helpful to have people on hand who can take care of things quickly on site.

This also means that there are some, um, very enthusiastic law enforcement. Some officers volunteer to do Burning Man duty because they want to bust ravers and hippies. Others go because they love the fact that a city that big can be that peaceful and they enjoy the atmosphere there. It's a mix. So it's a wise idea not to exchange drugs with anyone you don't know well and not to leave your bong out in the open. Not all the law enforcement is in uniform.

Living with the Rangers and working with Gate, I've had direct interactions with both BLM rangers and sherrif's deputies. All my experiences have been positive. I'm glad they're there.

If you have not been to the event yourself,
don't believe everything you've heard about Burning Man.
Like all rumor and gossip and sound bites,
MOST of the stories are highly exaggerated or just aren't true.

The Pershing county sheriff is blackmailing Burning man for a lot of money. He reports to the county commissioners that he is the only LEO out there and wants more money for more officers and more overtime. He neglects to mention the hundreds of volunteer peace keeping Black Rock rangers, the hundred paid BLM armed rangers, the paid Washoe County armed sheriffs, the paid Humboldt county sheriff.... Two years ago the LEO presence was stands of armed officers standing on Esplande next to the Black Rock Ranger station, waiting to arrest anyone. Not pretty sight. Last year they were there but not standing in threatening packs. A lot of your ticket money goes to pay for armed officers.

__________________I admit to being powerless over housecleaning and social niceities Airforums 22655 and now, WBCCI 22655

66,000 people partying with lots of drugs and booze, it becomes the third largest city in Nevada with only ticket sales to support the emergency services.

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

I think he is talking about a different event than the one our Airstreameri camp goes to. He left out the church meetings and the art and the world wide outreach "Burners with out Borders" and hundreds of other things. Yes, you can find anything you want, if you are looking for it. And, most of the emergency services are given voluntary, I don't believe there's much paid Doctors out there. My doctor helped out one year, he may have gotten a reduced ticket out of it.

__________________I admit to being powerless over housecleaning and social niceities Airforums 22655 and now, WBCCI 22655

Welcome Cheeta, come on in, sit a spell, make a postcard for home with us, join our sillyness. Be warned we are totally reserved and uptiteeeee with proper formal attire tea times and NOT.
I'm the chief grump, I usually do the formology and fill out the application forms and submit said application forms within the official cut off date to submit said application forms to the holey Placement Gods of Theme Camp Placement at That Thing in The Desert and we all pray the Placement Gods accept our application to be an official accepted Placed Theme Camp so we know we have a Reserved Placement Address to play before we leave home, otherwise in such case we have to get someone in early to squat enough playa big enough for the camp to camp in which the Placers do not like and they take down our caution tape once and then they come back and take away our chairs and barrels and barriers and then they come back and give us great voiciferous lashing for squatting said playa. In perfect British. So read through our old threads and applications and help me come up with enough nonsense and verbosity again to obfuscate and bamboozle us into being a Placed Theme Camp again this year! Yeayyy

__________________I admit to being powerless over housecleaning and social niceities Airforums 22655 and now, WBCCI 22655

Hola fellow burners! I went to Burning Man back in 2001 when there were around 30K burners in Black Rock City. I am interested in going again this year. I'll keep an eye on this thread. Glad to be here!

Hola fellow burners! I went to Burning Man back in 2001 when there were around 30K burners in Black Rock City. I am interested in going again this year. I'll keep an eye on this thread. Glad to be here!

Unfortunately, be forwarned. After two years of 40% virgins each year the original Burning Man ethos you know has been very diluted. BM isn't your grandfather's Burning Man any more. But it is still the best event you can find on this earth.

__________________I admit to being powerless over housecleaning and social niceities Airforums 22655 and now, WBCCI 22655

66,000 people partying with lots of drugs and booze, it becomes the third largest city in Nevada with only ticket sales to support the emergency services.

NevadaGeo, I read this as the emergency services get their funding solely from ticket sales, not that ticket sales fund only such services.

Because ticket sales are spread between art, portapotties, building the city and emergency services, the emergency services rely on volunteers to fill most of their positions. The money they get goes to consumables like IV bags and burn bandages.

I'd like to put a plug in for volunteering at Burning Man. If you like the feel of the place and you want to get more deeply involved, there's no better way than by volunteering. Everyone who goes is a participant, part of the party and the spectacle. But the volunteers get a deeper look.

Also, if you are dedicated (and sober) enough to volunteer a certain number of shifts, you can get yourself out of that abyss that is the annual ticket lottery. Working a few shifts can guarantee you a reduced price staff ticket - no lottery AND a price cut. Working more shifts can earn you a staff credential - free access and, of course, no ticket lottery. It changes the nature of the event to have to show up for shifts, but some of us wouldn't want to go to Burning Man any other way.

If this sounds intriguing, follow the links on the Burning Man website and fill out a volunteer survey. Most jobs that will earn you staff tickets require that you attend one or two years before volunteering, but it's never too early to learn about the opportunities. Then you can keep your eyes open and see what the jobs look like in real life.

hi, would like to join the thread as a 1961 Bambi owner & first time Burner

Welcome, cheetahgrrl!

There is some stuff in this thread about cleaning up the playa after the burn.

If your question on the 2014 thread was about cleaning up your trailer, there are pointers for that as well:

Seal around all windows with painters tape. This keeps some of the dust out and protects those hard to clean areas.

Dilute vinegar and/or microfiber cloths do a good job on getting the dust off of smooth surfaces.

Adding vinegar to the rinse water, or doing a pre-wash vinegar rinse can help dislodge the alkali dust from clothing and washable trailer fabrics. Often just machine washing as usual will do the trick. Adding acidic vinegar to the soapy wash water, which is basic, just neutralizes both and reduces the effectiveness of each.

Keeping your feet covered helps prevent cracking from exposure to the alkali dust. If you do find foot cracks, soak feet in water with vinegar added. Then coat skin with bag balm (available in drugstores in a green box) and wear socks to bed. Result: happy, smooth feet!